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Gordon_Fan24
Guest
Ok, I really hate to be a buzz kill here, but lets get serious.
The sport from a competition standpoint sucks.
Now, I get it, the way these boards work is that everyone has a different opinion, a different view.
So here are my personal views on why the current state of the sport is at its lowest, blandest, most boring point in the 28 years I've been a fan. You can agree, disagree, give your views, whatever.
From the top, and in no real order:
1. The emergence of the mega-teams.
Im not talking about Junior Johnson from back in the day here, either. Im talking about the new-york-yankee-ish way certain teams have literally taken over. Change the outfit to fit the year, but HMS, JGR and Roush know who they are.
I think Mega teams is something that couldn't be avoided. Anyone who has ever came into the business as an owner has strived for the same goal, to be a mega team. Hendrick, Gibb and Roush have all accomplished that goal. We shouldn't put them down for accomplishing goals.
2.The prime-time TV move and network switching chaos.
Why in the hell NASCAR has chosen to cut the throats of local tracks all over the country would be beyond me.
That is, if I were too stupid to recognize a greed driven desire for higher tv ratings.
Friday or Saturday nights are for local tracks. Sunday afternoon is where the top Nascar series belongs. Plus, I never can keep up with when a race is on or what station anymore.
Every sport has to have viewers to survive, I do not blame NASCAR for having more prime time races. I love Saturday Night races myself! Plus, if your local track is a good one, they will sale sets no matter what is on TV that night.
3.The contrived false drama vs actual competition aspect.
C'mon...this is obvious. From phantom cautions to green-white-checker finishes to the new(and idiotic) double file restarts. Remember, what works on a hot summer night at a bullring in person is one thing--what works at the top level is different.
What is so funny is before Green-White-Checker finishes, people were complaining about how many races ended under caution. I for one think that Green-White-Checker and double file restarts have helped the sport tremendously for entertainment value. I don't really think it is false drama by anymeans.
4. The incredible way NASCAR has managed to find about 30 of the blandest, most cookie-cutter , drab, lifeless robotic individuals on the planet to drive the blandest, most cookie cutter, drab , regressive shoebox cars on the planet. And speaking of cookie cutter....
I don't care who the driver is or how they act at their "home track" if they get called up to the big leagues, some rough edges will get ironed off. Of course there are some exceptions to this rule. However, with as much drama as their has been the past several weeks with personalities clashing, I don't know exactly what you are wanting to see.
5.The blandest, most cookie cutter, drab, personality free tracks on the planet with a few, very few, exceptions. Kansas? Chicago? Vegas? What?
I agree, some of the tracks fit this description, but def. not all of them.
6. A simply stupid , false drama building made-for-tv 'chase' format to decide the champion. WTH is up with that? Its the same old generic pretty-boy drivers in the same old indistinguiable cars.
I will be the first to say that there are glitches in the chase system, BUT, it does make things more interesting and feel more "sports like" to have some sort of playoff system. And yes, it is good for ratings.
7. The introduction of Japanese cars. And yeah, I know they might be made by Uncle Jimmy Earl down on main street, but if you think Toyota is an American car, you were dropped on your head as a kid. Its bad enough we have Government Motors now after all. And Toyota makes a fine vehicle, dont misunderstand. Its just simply a break from tradition that was purely yet another greed driven ratings move.
I can see your point here for sure. But, no matter how much we resist, foreign cars are going to make their way into the sport. And they for sure will now with the problems that the major american manufacturers are having.
8. Touched upon above, the COT has simply single handedly struck a huge blow to competition. Its a backward thinking shoebox that erases years of automotive design evolution.
I have to admit that you have a point here, but I do think that the drivers are alot safer in the COT.
9. Chic terms and big-mouthed ex drivers as announcers.
"Dirty air" might be real trendy, but we get it already. And about those big mouthed ex drivers? Ha...he deserves his own number on this list.
10. Darrell Waltrip. The most biased and ridiculous creature to ever sit in a broadcast booth. He is grating, irritating, usually inaccurate and obviously has a huge man-crush on certain Hendrick drivers....and reminds us of that about every 12.5 seconds.
Ok, 9, 10 to me are talking about the same thing. I have to tell ya, I don't see why everyone has such a problem with DW and has such a crush on TNT coverage. Honestly, atleast DW is a past champion and has some right to talk. What the heck does Wally and Kyle bring to the table? Aside from that DW shows passion for the sport where those two sound like they could be calling a golf game. So I def. do not think that DW is bad by any means. There has been times he has gotten on my nerves for sure, but I will take him over the TNT coverage anyday. I personaly am looking forward to DJ on ESPN.